Clarke uses 'personal power' to ban Bakri from UK

The radical Muslim cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed was banned yesterday from setting foot in Britain again under a "personal power" exercised by the home secretary, Charles Clarke.

Last night the man nicknamed "the Tottenham Ayatollah" was at liberty in Beirut after being released from a day of questioning by the Lebanese authorities.

The Syrian-born cleric, 46, who has lived in Britain for 20 years, told a Beirut television station he did not plan to challenge the ban. "I don't want to go back to Britain unless the government announces personally that I am no longer persona non grata," he said.

It appears that Home Office officials have established that Mr Clarke has the power to exclude him on the grounds that "his presence is not conducive to the public good".

This is a different power to that used to detain 10 foreign nationals on Thursday pending their deportation as "a threat to national security".

It is thought the need to use a different procedure reflects the official Home Office assessment that Mr Bakri is an extremist who incites hate but is not himself dangerous.

Pressure grew to ban or prosecute him after he said this week that he would not report to the police anyone planning a suicide bomb attack, although he added that he would risk his life to stop such an attack.

A man at Mr Bakri's home in Edmonton, north London, said that the family had no comment on the decision. Mr Bakri has seven children, all born in Britain and one of whom is about to start school.

A neighbour said she believed that it was right to ban Mr Bakri, "if there's proof".

The cleric's friend, a solicitor, Anjem Choudray, described the move as "a kangaroo system" of justice. He said he believed that Mr Bakri would be able to stay in Lebanon.

"They say that there's freedom of expression here but he's been banned because he was a voice of dissent," said Mr Choudray.

"He has committed no offence here, he has children and grandchildren here and he has never encouraged anyone to commit acts of violence. I will miss him enormously."

Inayat Bunglawala, of the Muslim Council of Britain, said most Muslims would not miss him.

"Bakri has been the source of an immense amount of frustration and dismay to Muslims ever since he came to these shores 20 years ago," said Mr Bunglawala. "With his very provocative language, he has contributed enormously to the demonisation of British Muslim community."

He said Mr Bakri had acted as a "recruiting sergeant" for the British National party. The shadow home secretary, David Davis, said "the whole country" would welcome the ban.

Mark Oaten, the Liberal Democrats' home affairs spokesman, also backed the move. "Few tears will be shed at this decision. The home secretary has these powers and given the circumstances is right to use them."

Mr Bakri arrived in Beirut last Saturday after fleeing the UK as it became apparent that he could face arrest. He has been staying with his mother and said on arrival that he hoped to return to Britain after "a holiday".

The Lebanese cabinet have discussed his status and he was arrested and questioned but released yesterday.

Syria has requested his extradition in connection with his membership there of the banned Muslim Brotherhood.

A neighbour of his mother in Beirut said: "This man has a big mouth and he talks a lot without doing any actions."